The complexity of modern media production requires a large assortment of metadata, which is used to define a growing variety of new data. For this reason, the use of metadata associated with time-based media, such as audio and video, is gaining in importance in media production. Current video and audio editing systems provide editors with some customized means of importing data to be used for specific, predetermined purposes in conjunction with time-based media. For example, data may be used to synchronize a process with time-based media. Alternatively the data within the files is attached to the time-based media, and is retained in its imported form with the media at various stages of a production workflow. In other systems, imported data directly manipulates source audio and video, often irreversibly changing the source media, and losing the original imported data in the process.
Video and audio productions are becoming more complex, involving larger teams in the production process, often at locations remote from each other. In addition, the proliferation of output platforms, from fixed entertainment systems to wireless mobile devices increases the number of renditions from a given set of source content. These trends increase the need for metadata that can describe nontraditional functions throughout the editing workflow.